Devil's Claw 5th in 'Flower Saga'
by gal
Summary: Fifth installment of the 'flower fic saga'. A year of wedded bliss for our happy yaoi couple. Schwarz has been eerily slilent... they're up to something... and what does it have to do with Mastermind?
1. Devil's Claw Prologue

Author's Note: The prologue happens a year before the rest of the story. This fic was supposed to be part of Winter's Rose originally but... well that was too happy to muck it up with this. XD  
I put this up once on ff.net months ago but it got eaten somehow. o.O Ah well. I got past the little thing I had blocking me on the rest of this, so it worked out well. More to come as it's written!

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Devil's Claw   
Prologue : Sweet Slumber 

**_~ ~ ~ _**

The slow and steady beep of life support sounded in the small hospital room in Magic Bus, a few flower arrangements sitting on the windowsill to brighten the sterile white room. The body of a young man lay in the bed, his body still and eyes closed in a predicted eternal slumber.

"There's been no change?"

"None that we can see. A few months ago we thought we saw signs of stirring in mental activity but all signs of it have vanished since. I'm sorry... We are doing all we can but I believe it is the life support alone keeping your husband alive."

"I will not pull the plug. He will wake up from this. He has to... He has to..."

The doctor sighed and just nodded, leaving the room to let the woman take a seat by the hospital bed, her clothing the only color in the endless white room. Reaching over the woman whispered the dark haired man's name, looking at his peaceful face, wondering for the nth time that day if it would be better to just pull the plug on her husband. He had been in this persistent vegetative state for a full year now... It just wasn't fair. If she could just see those honey brown eyes of his again... Just once...

Leaning over, the patient's wife took his still hand in hers, rubbing her fingers over his, telling him of her day and how her boss was still annoying her, how their neighbors send their very best, how they all know he can pull through this. There had been mental activity, just a blip of it, eight months ago... She had to wish for the best... She had to hope for some other evidence that there was something promising with her beloved husband's state.

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To be continued  
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	2. Devil's Claw Chapter One Part One

Devil's Claw   
Chapter One : Awake Unto Me 

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Some may think that there was something about the snow that made everything look pure and innocent. Others thought it just made it look desolate, a never ending expanse of blinding white hiding death... Of course, some had never much believed there was indeed innocence left in the world.

The sound of snow crunching beneath feet sounded as a sole figure made his way through a labyrinth of gravestones, the snow still falling around him slowly to fall over his footsteps tracking through the pure white. Brad Crawford slowly made his way through the graveyard, not paying any attention to others who may be visiting their deceased on the final day before the new year. They meant nothing to him, nothing here meant anything to the oracle save one gravestone. 

Coming upon that gravestone, the leader of Schwarz knelt down to brush away the soft flakes of snow from the gravestone, reading the inscription. For once he didn't care that his black Armani suit (one can't wear cream colors in the winter) was being mussed as he felt the dampness of the snow soak through the fabric of his pants at the knees. 

_Kai Mortimer.   
The Master of one man's heart...   
The Master of one boy's hope...   
The Master of another's sanity...   
The Mastermind behind the darkness._

Sighing softly, the man left his hand resting on the damp gravestone after flicking the white crystals from his glove. "Hello Schuldich..." he said softly, a faint bit of sadness entering his monotones. Reaching to the lapel of his double-breasted suit, he pulled out a red camellia bloom and placed it on the gravestone. He had no idea of the flower's meaning, he wasn't a florist. Ironic though he chose it so fitting, 'alas my poor heart', not even knowing the flower's meaning. 

Sliding off his glasses, Brad slipped them into their case and into his pocket, bowing his head as he idly brushed away the snow from the words, tracing his finger over the engravings. The flower rested on the snow, bright red against the pristine snow, reminding him of the fire of Schuldich's hair against his pale skin the many times he'd walked about Schwarz base teasing the American by wearing little clothing, showing all of that skin pulled tight over his lithe frame. God, but he'd been so beautiful... 

And Brad hadn't been graced with his feline and fiery beauty since last April, twenty months prior... three days before the man died. He hadn't even ever really had final words with the telepath, the last he ever heard from him was that the man was going his own route against orders. Just for one damn fuck. A violation which led to his death, something Brad didn't see coming though he should have, and hadn't been able to protect him from. Even though when Schuldich joined Schwarz, Brad told him he'd protect him in return for his alliance... 

"You know sometimes I cannot believe you are gone, Schuldich," he whispered, trying to ignore the single tear that rolled down his cheek but it was just followed by another. The hot trails on his skin contrasted against the empty coldness he felt inside and had since he watched the old SZ building burn to the ground with his telepath inside. "I know that you are. We watched that building burn to the ground, I saw the autopsy done on... what was left. You were supposed to outlive us all... or at least not die like that..." 

Leaning down, he curled his hand into a fist and struck the gravestone, trying to will away his tears as he rested on his hands and knees, hanging over the gravestone. It had been more than a year; they did nothing when he first died, they still did nothing. He was a damn ruthless assassin, he'd killed hundreds in his lifetime. He should be used to death... 

But Schwarz wasn't supposed to die. And not by the hands of Weiß because of something so petty as a jealous lover killing Schuldich for touching the other. Not... by Weiß... They had been mere pawns in Schwarz's ultimate game of chess. Never was the pawn supposed to be able to get the king in check. 

"SZ didn't even have the power to kill us... You said it yourself, Schuldich. 'Because with powers like ours we could survive anything'." Shaking, he curled his other hand into a fist, standing up to compose himself with his usual cold frigidity. "Why did you disobey me, Schuldich... This was supposed to be our era. Now, with the scrambling I had to do in order to get SZ to send me a new telepath so our team could be a full force and not be ruined as if we were nothing, I am completely under their thumb once more... Even now a year later, and they're gaining strength..." 

Rubbing his temple softly, Brad moved his hand to run his fingers through his hair, tossing away the crystals of snow that had fallen in his hair, tossing them away to glint in the setting sun's light. A cold wind drew across the gravestones but he didn't even pull his long jacket from where it was draped over his arm to put it on, barely even feeling the chill. Everything he said to Schuldich, no, to the cold gravestone was true. Ever since Schuldich had died, things had changed for Schwarz. They were still powerful, dangerously so, but things... were never the same. Yes, they were high in SZ's ranks but Brad knew that was because of Crocifisso's placement on their team. He had pulled nearly every favor he had, pulled every string he knew of in SZ, kissed every ass necessary to get them a very high powered telepath so they would not... face a very humiliating death of being crushed by Weiß as well. And the new Mastermind had worked out very well the year he'd been with Schwarz. He followed exact orders when on mission. And Brad didn't much give a damn what he did the rest of the time, the Italian basically stayed out of their way when not on mission. 

But unfortunately, in gaining SZ's little golden boy to their ranks, it had made Schwarz once again the organization's little pawns, completely under their thumb. It was absolutely sickening and made Brad ill to his stomach whenever he thought about it. Schwarz was hardly a team to be reckoned with, very high up in the organization slowly gaining back the power it had once had. 

The reasons though he had tried so hard to get Crocifisso had not yet come to fruition, as Schwarz had not once encountered Weiß in the past eighteen months, not since that chance encounter at the springs resort the past year. Schwarz was busy doing things for SZ and not dealing with Kritiker as the organization wasn't seen as a threat. He would get his revenge though... soon. They couldn't hide forever. Schwarz was still powerful, none could hide from them... that would never change... 

But... it wasn't the Schwarz he'd built from nothing to achieve the ruin of a society which only scorned them. Where had he gone wrong... it wasn't supposed to have been like this for them. He had played the part of the obedient servant to SZ to gain power so they could one day break away from the organization... and he was once more back where he started. Only many years older, much more jaded, and missing something he could never replace. 

"I never even realized what you were to Schwarz, Schuldich. I knew you were an integral part but..." Pausing, he just shook his head and stepped away from the grave. This was foolish. Once every month he did this but it was still so foolish. Schuldich wasn't there he was gone. He couldn't hear him. 

"Why is it that he was always able to make me think on the past. I am a precognitive. The past is something one can only learn from, not something one like myself should dwell on." 

Turning away from the gravestone, he started walking back to his car... only to freeze in midstep as his vision blurred, a vision of a possible future moving over his minds eye. One that... didn't make much sense but had a sense of loss and foreboding. 

A hospital... a dark haired man lay in bed as if asleep, pale as if he had been in the hospital a very long time... a cluster of doctors gather around as a woman cries softly near the bed... every single monitor turns off... the low whine of a respirator shuts off... the man's eyes open just as the doctors leave the room... 

Brad gasped as his normal sensory vision returned, his own flesh pale from the sight. The dark haired figure was off in a run through the graveyard to get back to his car, leaving the gravestone marker to be covered once more by the falling snow, the red petals of the camellia bright against the falling snow dusted over it. 

**_~ ~ ~_**

Silver moonlight glinted on the city of Tokyo, turning the city into a wintry paradise spread out before the high rooftop of the Koneko flower shoppe, the pale light of the moon setting the entire pristine white covered world with an ethereal glow. One of the males watching the moon hang in the velvet sky over Tokyo, snow fluttering through the air, sighed softly and hugged his spouse closer against his body, the two curled in a blanket together on a chair set out on the rooftop, the two lovers watching the minutes tick by until their first year anniversary. Inside the flower shoppe all of their friends and family they could get there were gathered to throw them a party celebrating their one year anniversary... but Ran being his usual antisocial self had been able to squeeze one moment of alone time in with his spouse as midnight approached.

One year... He could hardly believe it, the complete marital bliss and unity and perfection he'd felt all year. And in addition to his own happiness, he'd been able to watch his own sister join in marital union with a man he respected very much, who was as absolutely in love with Fujimiya Aya as she was with him. A depth and level of love that matched Ran's own with Ken, though he hoped to the stars they had come by it far more easily than he what he had to pass to reach what he had with Ken. It all worked out in the end though, truly it did. To be with the one who had helped him move past everything traumatic in his life, the one who had stayed by him with infinite love, made anything tolerable. And that was something that Ran would continue to say even if the world tumbled around them, so long as it didn't pull Ken from his hold, let it fall. The past year since his midnight wedding atop a rooftop had been among the best and most fulfilling years of Ran's life. 

As the dark twilight settled over them, bringing with it the chill of the long night, Ran tilted his head to watch the light shine on his spouse's sweet face. Ken was absolutely breathtaking in the sunlight, but in the night he was like a shining beacon, forever calling to Ran. Shivering faintly as a cool wind flurried snow up onto the rooftop of Koneko around them, strong arms wrapped tighter about the younger male sitting in his lap on a chair. 

"I know it's not quite midnight... and you know they're going to be dragging us back to the party soon..." he said softly, his voice a mere whisper on the wind to not interrupt the perfect beauty of the moment they were in, "so happy anniversary, Hidimiya." Touching his warm fingertips to the man's chin to tilt his head, Ran smiled softly to see the blush on Ken's cheeks from the cold. The soft tender expression lit the redhead's entire face, shining his eyes not like hard gems, but like lilac blossoms kissed with the rising sun. Tilting his head, Ran pressed a kiss to his lover's petal soft lips, forever enjoying the sweet taste of his mouth as if it were the very first time he had tasted it. 

Sighing into the warmth of the kiss, Ken let himself be pulled into the bubble of contentment which always seemed to settle around him every time he and Ran were like this. The rest of the world seemed to fall away into nothingness at times like these. The world didn't exist as far as Ken was concerned. His world was in front of him, kissing him, holding him, and loving him. 

Ken's own lips traversed the equally soft texture of his spouse's, his arms slipping around Ran as he sat comfortably in his lap. When like this he could almost forget there were other people nearby. 

The past year had been perfect for Ken. Youji and Omi had let he and Ran take a less active role in Kritiker. It was fine as there was little going on that needed the four-man assassin team. Most of it was being handled by Kritiker's dazzling Crasher teams, Chess and Camelot. Between the two teams they'd been able to do things through proper and legal channels hardly requiring the talents and skills of Weiß. Much to Ken's chagrin Aya was getting more mission time now than he was. 

He didn't mind though. Lot more time to be with Ran. The wedded couple had moved farther up the building, Omi and Youji both complaining that their constant lovemaking was keeping them up at night. They'd converted the small set of rooms on the top floor to one giant apartment. It had been a fun project, and Youji had especially enjoyed soundproofing the master bedroom. He'd teased Manx about getting some for her apartment as they'd been getting similar complaints from her neighbors. 

All in all he and Ran now shared a lovely apartment away enough to give them some modicum of privacy (Still living in the same house with Youji made having total privacy a near impossibility), but close enough to still be of use to Weiß should the need arise. 

Ken loved this idyllic paradise that they'd found, but he knew... something in him warned him that something was on the horizon. Things were too quiet, something was building. Since that afternoon he and Ran had talked with Nagi, Schwarz had been quiet. He could feel a sort of cosmic shift in the balance that had been created between the two archenemies. 

The brunette could suddenly feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickling, suddenly sensing he wasn't alone with Ran anymore. Pulling his lips reluctantly from Ran's, Ken kept his eyes closed. "I swear Kudou if you've come to get a free show, you'd best turn around now." 

A soft girlish giggle sounded out on the rooftop. "Youji is currently too drunk to care about watching your show when he's making one of his own with Manx. They're currently slow dancing and he has his hands firmly latched onto her... well never mind you can see for yourself." Aya stood quietly by the door smiling at the two men. She felt her own spouse behind her holding her, his hand lightly rubbing her belly. She could still feel the glowing pride and love emanating from him at her earlier news. She looked up at Yuushi catching his nod then smiled. "Come on, Ojisan. It's almost midnight." Aya grinned widely as another bout of joyous tears threatened to spill. 

Ran's own soft breathy laugh joined with Aya's as she told of Youji's own little free show, faintly audible under his breath but it echoed across the quiet rooftop. It figures, the playboy of Weiß had been one of the ones who'd been so adamant about throwing the married males a party for their anniversary before they snuck off to their mountain cabin to spend a few days there with plans to leave in the morning on their actual anniversary. Aya had planned the wedding, but Youji had insisted on planning the party. "Glad to hear he's enjoying it himself..." he said with a faint smirk.

Uncurling himself from the chair since they were being called back to be social and the center of attention as he'd known they would be soon, Ran helped the male up. Even after they un-entangled themselves from where they had been on the chair, the redhead kept his spouse close at his side. It was cold out and the male's body was always as warm as a summer's day, that and he just enjoyed feeling him close at his side. It was actually odd to think of how little they'd been apart since Weiß had rescued him from the incident... not a bad odd... Ran had just never imagined being able to enjoy someone's company that much and craving it so.

He blinked almost dumbly for a moment while staring at the other married couple, catching all of the subtle signs that were clearly pointed out as true at the woman's words. Sliding his arm from Ken's waist to just hold his hand, he moved across the distance from the edge of the roof where he'd been sitting with Ken to the rooftop doorway where Aya was, almost tentatively reaching to brush over his sister's toned abdomen where Yuushi's long fingers were affectionately brushing against her sweater. "Ojisan?" he repeated, knowing he'd heard it right but it was still... he just wanted to hear it again. His soft violet eyes gazed into his sister's bright blue, a delicate smile touching on his lips as he saw the infinite joy and pride in her eyes.

Squeezing the woman tightly against him, Yuushi nodded and set his chin atop her soft hair, peering at the other two males. Hours ago when he had been told he'd hugged her delicately as if she was months into and he'd break her, until she bopped him upside the head affectionately, informing him this didn't suddenly make her made out of glass, and she'd demanded a tighter hug. 

Smiling brightly with the usual male pride of finding out their wife was with their child, Yuushi nodded to the male's slow quiet question and kissed the female Crasher's temple. "That's right... You're both going to be uncles. Aya's pregnant."

Letting the tiny smile that had been playing on his lips curve into a full smile, the redhead released his spouse's hand momentarily to wrap his arms about his younger sibling, pulling her into a tight hug, knowing enough about the girl to not ever treat her like glass no matter what the circumstances. Watching her pick up her life after being in a coma so long easily taught him that she was hardly fragile... just as much of a Fujimiya as he was. "Oh Aya... Congratulations," he said finally after a long moment of silence of just hugging the girl, unsure of what to say save that.

"I'm going to teach him everything I know!" Ken beamed and dropped to his knees to press his ear to Aya's stomach.

"Excuse me, him?" Aya laughed softly as she watched Ken at her belly trying to talk to the bundle of cells in her body, which would in a few months time be her first child.

"Yeah. A him. Someone needs to carry on the Fujimiya name." The male smiled up at the young woman before turning back to face her tummy. "Hello in there! I'm Ken. I'm going to be your uncle. Your favorite one no matter what Youji tells you, got that? Oh and anything Youji tells you is a bald faced lie!" A delicate hand rose to smack Ken away who just laughed and rose returning to his spouse's side. Suddenly he turned to face Ran and puffed out his tummy as far as his toned abdomen would allow. "I want one now... You think I'd look good pregnant?"

"Uh... Ken?"

"Yes Aya?"

Aya turned to her brother, her eyes round with incredulity. "I'll let your husband explain it to you."

"I think we'll be sharing the title of favorite uncle, Ken." Smirking lightly, Ran rested his hand on Ken's puffed out tummy and patted it fondly before pulling him over, wrapping his arms about his waist and dropping his chin on his shoulder. "You silly thing..." he said with a soft laugh, nuzzling his nose against his temple. "I'm sure you'd be lovely pregnant, but I don't want to pay for the sex change operation to make that possible." Smiling lightly and wickedly, he whispered a few more things to the male about why he preferred him without child and, well, male.

Touching his fingers lightly over her still flat belly again, Yuushi chuckled softly and just watched the two. "You two are weird."

Pausing in his erotic whispering, violet eyes flickered over to Yuushi. "Why thank you. So which do you want, girl or boy?"

Hmming softly in happy thought, Yuushi glanced at his wife and smiled before looking back to his brother-in-law. "Either would be wonderful... but I want a little girl. One that looks like Aya so I can have two to spoil."

Leaning against the doorway to the roof, Omi looked over at the four gathered together, the pale moonlight illuminating them to look as if they were angels, in their own personal heaven. Soft sapphire eyes glanced down to his watch to see it was nearing the exact moment when Ran and Ken had finished giving their vows and had been united in matrimony.

"Come on you four lovebirds," he called out to the gathered quartet, lifting up his arm to tap his finger against his watch signaling it was almost time. "Almost time for the toast." Omi looked over his shoulder to hear the music drifting up the stairway from the party and smirked lightly, hearing Manx's laugh ringing over it. "That and you -**have**- to see the drunken tango Youji-kun is doing with Manx. And I think she's enjoying it."

Laughing faintly at the mental image that conjured up, Ran pressed a kiss to Ken's cheek and then took his hand, Yuushi doing the same for his wife, and the four moved back into the celebratory gathering with all of their friends.


	3. Devil's Claw Chapter One Part Two

The dark BMW pulled to a stop in front of the apartment complex that was owned by SZ, Schwarz's current home. Brad sighed lightly and glanced at the building he'd left hours ago to go visit Schuldich's grave as he often did. After leaving the cemetery he'd driven to a park nearby and just sat on the snow-covered fountain, the water from it drained for the winter season. He needed time to think, peace and quiet to properly focus on the vision to get more information about it and filter and control his gift. He needed all of this so that he would properly be able to carry out actions to not have that vision of the future come to be present.

He knew what he had to do. He wasn't quite sure why or how these events came to be, but perhaps all would be explained soon enough.

Shutting off the car the tall dark haired man got out, closing the door behind him as he headed off for the elevator to go to the small suite that Schwarz had to fit all their needs. Punching in the security code, he entered the apartment and just heard... silence. Honestly a very rare thing in the Schwarz household, even with Schuldich's idle chatter no longer plaguing them. Far too silent.

"Nagi! Farfarello! Crocifisso!" he called out, shutting the door behind him, though he figured they were all already aware he had returned.

The slight form of Nagi Naoe came down the hallway, the sound of clacking keys still coming from his room even though he wasn't in there. The boy really used his powers too much but had such careful precision with them, Crawford had no room for complaint. "Farfarello is in his cell... sedated."

Sighing softly, strong fingers came up to pinch on the bridge of his nose before coming down, taking his glasses off. "Another one?" he simply asked in cold monotone, polishing the lenses with slow circles using the cloth he pulled from his pocket.

Ever since Schuldich died twenty months ago, the man had been even more unstable than before. And instead of time mending his wounds, they just seemed to make things worse. The addition of Crocifisso to the team hadn't really helped, either. The one time Crawford had suggested that Farfarello attempt to befriend the telepath as he had their old telepath since Crocifisso was quite the mind game player, the American had received a look from the single gold eye as if he were the crazy one. The Irishman was only good on missions where there could be a mass of blood shed. Unfortunately all other times, he was just a ticking time bomb that had to be kept mildly drugged or fully sedated to keep him under control. The leader of Schwarz greatly disliked having to treat him so, like some sort of animal, but he had no other choice. When he wasn't slowed by drugs, they were constantly on the defense. All of Schwarz had been lunged at on a time or two. Brad because he should have seen Schuldich's death coming, Crocifisso for calling himself Mastermind, even Nagi because he was paired with Schuldich on that ill fated mission and should have been able to stop the events. Farfarello always had a twisted way of blaming events on persons.

Farfarello was just a very unhappy individual with a lot of anger. Well. That was **always** true. Only now, he was a very unhappy individual with a lot of anger and no true way to calm and focus it. And sometimes it seemed Brad was up there with God on his hate list because he hadn't stopped the White from taking the Guilty One from the Black.

Sigh. They'd all taken the telepath's death badly and hadn't really gotten over it, even a few months short of two years after. Farfarello was just the most obvious of all of that.

"Hai," Nagi said with a soft shrug, leaning against the doorframe to the living room. The sound of the clacking keys finally fell silent. "He discovered where you had gone and got... annoyed. Some upset that Schuldich's few remains are buried in grounds blessed by the Liar."

"I see." Putting his glasses back on, Brad ran his fingers through his hair and glanced at his watch. "Where is Crocifisso. We have somewhere to go."

"Now?" Nagi blinked, eyeing the time. "But it's past midnight."

"Now."

Hair pulled up in a lazy ponytail with long tendrils falling about his feminine features, Crocifisso ambled slowly from his room, clad in designer pajamas with the top fully unbuttoned. He looked ready for bed. "I'm right here, O Fearless Leader." The blonde tilted his head quizzically to the side and regarded the precog, making no point in disguising the fact he was trying to read him. Oh he knew full well he couldn't but it was so interesting making it obvious that he was trying to butt in where he wasn't wanted.

Spend enough time with someone and you learn about the things they hide, by the way they hide it. And the Italian had been with them long enough to figure out when Brad had something up his sleeve and when he'd had a vision. ~/Catch any interesting sneak previews lately, Crawfie?/~

Glancing over at the telepath and knowing full well he was attempting to read him, Crawford just smirked faintly to the man. He didn't even bother telling him not to call him that, it seemed all telepaths had a penchant for giving him ridiculous nicknames and types of abbreviations of his surname. ~/The future is often granting me with 'sneak previews', Crocifisso. The only interesting ones are visions which I can make use of. But in that definition, yes, I have./~

Telling the man nothing else as was his habit, his ice blue gaze wandered over the two to take in their garments. Both were in their pajamas, Nagi wearing flannel ones fully buttoned up but pajamas the same. It really didn't matter, they weren't going somewhere where they had to worry much about appearances for once. "Get dressed or at least get jackets and shoes," he said simply. "It's cold out."

A part of him was wondering why he was in such a rush to go. Though the vision hadn't been all too clear on just when it would happen, the room had been bright with sunlight, not the deep reds of the sunset that had been on his face when it had passed over his mind's eye. All details of the vision had been pondered on and evaluated, one thing he had done while he'd been at the deserted park. He just wanted to see to this long before daybreak so as few as possible complications could occur. And possibly he was eager to see what would could of this... so he wouldn't falsely get his hopes up. Another reason he told Nagi at least so little, not wanting to get the boy's hopes up in case this proved futile and though interesting, little use to Schwarz.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he concentrated on Schwarz, hoping to filter the visions that continually flickered across his mind's eye, watching for one that would be of use. "Nagi. How sedated was Farfarello, how long ago?"

Pausing in going back to his room to get changed as requested, the boy glanced over his shoulder. "Just a half hour ago, and with one of our best."

Touching a finger to his chin, Crawford nodded to himself. "Very well."

Farfarello would have to stay here... hopefully the man would not unstrap himself from the straight jacket and create a havoc, not with one of their strongest sedatives coursing through him. Still he focused carefully for any incoming visions about Farfarello and any dangers leaving him alone could bring, but none came. Visions concerning Schwarz were always his strongest because those were ones he sorted through the mass of future images, ones that mattered to him. But unfortunately, his power didn't show him all that would occur within Schwarz, such as Siberian's final dealings with Schuldich, as well as Schuldich disappearing for days. Those unfortunate incidents he had not been 'blessed' to see. Though he wasn't sure which would be worse... not having seen it, or getting a vision of it all happening in great detail and being too late to stop it.

Precognition was a blessing and a curse sometimes... especially when it didn't work as he wished it to sometimes. He still didn't know why he hadn't foreseen such a major event as Siberian killing Mastermind and thus starting a downfall of Schwarz. He should have seen it, he'd seen similar scaled things before, so why not that...

Pale grey eyes raked over his own form with a sigh. Gods he was sexy. Smirking softly he turned, returning to his room without a word. Right like he was going to rumple his five hundred dollar pajamas by throwing a coat over it. He changed relatively quickly, picking up that the former SZ golden boy was in a hurry. He still took enough time to be impeccably dressed though. His ego demanded it. Pleased with the way his lilac Versace suit draped perfectly over his form and how his flaxen hair seemed to gleam just right and ecstatic with the way the color of the suit heightened the color of his usually dull eyes, he felt ready to be seen in public. Even if that public was just Crawford and Naoe.

Emerging from his room several minutes later, Crocifisso flipped the long curtain of hair back from his shoulder then adjusted his cuff. "Ready when you are, Capo."

**~ ~ ~**

The ride to the hospital was quiet, the American not saying much despite any questions that came his way from the two. It was clear that he was not going to give any details or let anything slip past his mental shields despite any and all prodding. Nagi just sat in the backseat in silence, watching the other cars go by, curious about where they were headed but he knew from long years of experience with Crawford that any questions would be answered with silence. So rather than waste his breath, he just waited to see.

And blinked in actual shock for a moment when they pulled up to Magic Bus Hospital. The rare emotion visible on his face soon faded and he just waited as the car drove into the parking garage.

It was surprising easy to sneak into the hospital, even for them, and within a matter of minutes they'd made their way through the hallways to wherever they were going. Finding a room, Brad glanced at the name and specifics about the patient on the doorway before nodding and leading them in. Stepping into the room, seeming to blend into the shadows with his dark hair and the dark suit he still wore, Brad just stared down at the dark haired male lying motionless on the bed.

...they came to see some damn man in a coma?! Nagi sighed faintly and stepped into the room and over to the bed next to his leader, His arms crossed over his chest, fingers lightly tugging at the dark gray sweater he'd changed into after taking off his pajamas. It was hardly as flashy and fashionable as Crocifisso's... designer lavender suit... but it was presentable. He didn't like flashy and things that made him stand out anyway.

Staring at the sleeping form, Nagi turned midnight blue eyes up to Brad, completely perplexed as to why they'd come out all this way at nearly two am to come see some comatose man. Maybe Crawford somehow had a Fujimiya complex of some sort.

"I saw a vision of this man dying tomorrow, when they pull the plug on him. He's been in a coma for two years and hasn't shown any brain activity in that time, other than a large jump that had the doctors excited about his chances of recovery twenty months ago. Nothing since then. Knowing that information," he continued, glancing up from staring at the patient's face over to the two he'd brought with him, "anyone care to wager a guess on why we are here, before all support to this vessel is cut?"

A sudden whispered laugh broke out in the quiet of the room. Elbowing past the two other Schwarz members, Crocifisso flomped on the bed and grinned. "Santa Maria en il cielo! I should have known." Lounging back on the bed the telepath looked deep in a highly ironic conversation. He interjected a few phrases some in Italian others... in German. "Ja Braddums, I know." The blonde grinned wickedly using a much-loved phrase that truly annoyed the precog. Yes he knew and he simply loved the irony.

Brad's amber eyes just flickered to the Italian and then back to the still form on the bed, not really as annoyed with that phrase as one would think. At least now he knew that he was right... if he'd dragged Schwarz all the way here in the middle of the night and had been wrong, he was sure Crocifisso would have gladly and quickly made him aware of that. His hand rose to lightly brush his fingers down the man's cheek, wanting to see some sort of reaction from the patient as well as fully let them know they were there. He wanted to see what had startled him in the vision, what had led him here and not dismissed it all as something trivial and unrelated to Schwarz that trickled through his filters.

The low steady beep of the machines monitoring the man filled the room, changing as brain signals shifted to show slight activity and the man's heartbeat increased. "Crawford, we are going to have to hurry before that draws the attention of the nurses," Nagi said softly as he glanced at the monitors in the room but got no answer from the American. "Crawford?" Turning back to look at the man he followed his gaze and just froze.

Pale eyelids that had been closed were now opened, irises of a brilliant green staring up at the ceiling before looking over to the original two members of Schwarz. Though eyes of that color hadn't been seen for nearly two years, they were unmistakable, especially with the sparkle of mischief in the otherwise dulled green gaze. He could practically see a light smirk ghosting over the man's lips. A faint gasp touched over Nagi's lips and he took a step back from the bed, attempting to not just fall over. "Schuldich... but how?"

"I honestly don't know," Brad said but fell silent as he felt a familiar touch curl about his mind, trying to sneak into that silence. His eyes behind the thin wire frames softened faintly, allowing the telepathic touch of his German team member long thought to be dead.

//Brad... Get me out of this godforsaken place. I was starting to give up on you ever finding me.// The man's eyes blinked owlishly at the American, his telepathy sounding tired and strained for reasons that Brad would have to have explained to him later. Traces of the German's thoughts half not believing they were actually there, seeing where he'd been since Ken made a valiant effort to kill him.

Sensing the need for urgency in the three minds present about him, Crocifisso moved silently and quickly to action. He made quick work to remove anything metal from his body, which was little more than a few rings, his watch, and a thin gold chain. From there he removed two of the four electrodes from the man's head and placed them on his own while rearranging the others. "There's no mind here to speak of. Something most likely the brutality of his death caused him to leap his entire consciousness out of his body. With no body to return to since Siberian mangled the hell out of it. He went to the next available one. This one. He's been in a vegetative state and quite dead for some time now. All these machines are just keeping the body functioning. Perfect for a mind with no body. The downside of this was that while the body was fine, the mind had no means of making the necessary connections and synapses to send out any telepathic signals. In short, the mind he jumped into wasn't built for telepathy. The only reason it works now is because I'm channeling my abilities into him so he can talk to you."

Crocifisso moved about the machines quickly setting dials and whatnot into proper order. "This is going to hurt. What I'm going to do is zap enough juice into this brain, to shock Schuldich out. If it works he's got a live conduit to me. So essentially... I've got a new roommate. Now all I need now Crawfie. Is your permission."

//Points for the man in the smashing lilac suit,// came the German's mental voice again with the same tired tone and after Crocifisso's explanation, Brad understood. Having jumped to a plain ordinary body, Schuldich may have just been able to hear the press of minds around him, but he'd never been able to do one of the more useful things with his telepathy and actually send out thoughts and messages. It was a voice he hadn't used for twenty months.

"Telepaths can do that?" Nagi asked softly, watching as the Italian prepared himself for a way to get Schuldich back out of the nearly dead mind and body. Dark shaded eyes glanced at the blond Schwarz member. Perhaps for the only time actually considering him a Schwarz member and not just a replacement, SZ suck up since he was now preparing to 'donate' some of his own mind space to Schuldich so they didn't have to lose him all over again.

//It's not something that's often done but ja, we can.// The deep green eyes blinked and glanced over to watch as Crocifisso finished with the preparations, still slightly confused since the comatose body's sensory receptors were half not cooperating and all of the people's minds were guarded from training. He got bits and pieces of the conversation going on around him, mainly from Crocifisso channeling his own telepathy to him to give him ability to speak, working more as a buffer between receiving Schu's thoughts and sending them to the others. Nagi's question was clear in his thoughts as well as the fact that the blond Italian explained it perfectly. Who he was, he wasn't honestly sure yet. He didn't really care. They could all play catch up later. //A bit of a last resort thing though, it's just a higher level of mind possession and control. In my rush to leave my body I really didn't have time to be picky about whose mind I invaded. Anything would be better than staying where I was. I needed a new body that wouldn't put up much of a fight since I didn't have time to fight a mental battle for who had rights to the mind. This fit the bill perfectly... until I realized I couldn't get back out and couldn't contact you. By then I was in... and it was like a crab trap. Can get in easily. Not out.//

"Yes you have my permission, Crocifisso," Brad said with a faint nod as he dropped his hand onto Nagi's shoulder to pull him from the bed so he wouldn't somehow be harmed by the electric shock.

The blonde reached over and grabbed the crash cart and set it on the maximum setting. It wouldn't be doing any harm to the original inhabitant of the body as it had vacated it many several years ago. And even if there had been any lingering presence within the host body, Crocifisso had little respect for life in general unless it served his purpose, and this one had already served its.

Rubbing the paddles together, Crocifisso busied himself mentally with shuffling about his own mental facilities to make room for the new presence and stretching out his abilities further toward the nurses at the nurses station to ignore the erratic bleeping and lights on the monitors. Without another word he placed the paddles and shocked the shit out of the body.

As the electric shock jolted through the body it lurched off of the bed, every single EEG, EKG, and all other monitors in the room screaming and beeping with the actions. The patient's form fell back onto the bed and fell still, the eyes that were open moments ago having fallen shut once more, and forever.

The two non-telepathic Schwarz members moved in easy synchronization as they glanced about the room from the bed to one another and then finally to the golden haired telepath.

The man's delicate hand brushed off the soft colored designer suit, faint murmurs under his breath about how that was definitely the last time he was ever doing that because mind-body jumping felt no real better the second time around than the first. Though it was Crocifisso's voice speaking, the Italian accent was gone, the deep tones instead tinged with Schuldich's own inflections and the thick German accent in his word when he was annoyed.

"Schuldich?" Brad asked softly, ignoring the body on the bed as he heard the man utter a faint curse in German with that sarcastic edge none could match. Pausing in slowly taking off the electrodes, the man glanced up, the grey-blue eyes set on the Italian's delicate features fringed green around the edges, showing that though the jump was successful, Crocifisso was still mostly in control of the body and could take control back at any time. Schuldich was just in the forefront right now enough to get settled into his new shared vessel comfortably, just needing enough control right now so his full consciousness wouldn't be expelled though there was no place for him to go.

The man's full lips pulled into a light smirk. Schuldich's smirk. "Ja Brad?" Dropping an eye into a wink, he finished gently taking off the electrodes and smoothed the waves of golden hair into place. Blinking as he touched over the blond silk that were a different texture than what he was used to, he ran his finger through the tresses again and brought the tips in front of his face as if for inspection. Finding them utterly perfectly trimmed and split end free, he turned his head to glance in the mirror near the small washroom in the hospital room. "Scheiße. I'm... He's... Tsk. We're, ja, that works, quite lovely indeed."

"Baka..." Nagi whispered and shook his head lightly, watching the man. Figures that one of the first things Schuldich would do after being given life after being dead for nearly two years is inspect the prettiness factor of his new 'living quarters'. But even as he referred to the man as his usual nickname in his insolent teen way, he couldn't keep the faint bit of shakiness from touching his somber tones.

The jolt had sent the Italian into the recesses of his own mind as he let Schuldich's consciousness expand and fill up and all in all get used to its new surroundings. He was mentally exhausted from the ordeal of all the mental shifting and occupying the nurses. He felt his own hold on them weaken as further exhaustion crept in on him. ~/You've got 24 hours Schuldich. Then we talk ground rules and I let you know what you can and cannot do. Oh. And no sex just yet. We had some earlier./~ With a lazy smirk he let that little scene play. It was a bit weak and staticy but he left the memory of it open for Schuldich to replay for himself if he so desired. ~/Let Capo know we've got about five minutes or so before I lose the connection with the nurses so we'd best be getting out of here. You've got all motor control right now so you'd be the best judge right now as to if we can walk out of here or if we need Capo. Oh and you owe me./~As Crocifisso fully retreated and allowed Schuldich control for a bit so the Italian could rest his mind, the icy gray blue irises of the now shared body faded to allow spring green to blossom fully. Glancing at the room he had never actually seen but been trapped in for two years, Schuldich nodded faintly to the voice in his head. He hated being indebted to people, but it was far better than what he had endured for so many months. //Ja, so I do. You rest, I'll behave myself. I doubt Braddles is going to let me out of his sight for awhile. Danke...//

Starting to take a step to leave, he wavered faintly, feeling the effects of the large electric shock on the form. Before he could even blink, he glanced over to see the American already at his side to give him aid. Accepting it with a faint smile, he looped his arm about Brad's trim waist and glanced over at him, scrunching his nose lightly as he adjusted to the new height difference and the new body he was now generously sharing. "We need to leave now. Crocifisso only has about five minutes remaining that he can keep a hold on the nurses before they actually become aware of their surroundings and come inspect that," he said with a nod to the bleeping monitors that were making their discontent about the patient's state very known and very loudly.

"Of course. Come along Nagi," the American said with a nod to the youngest member and the three headed out without a single backwards glance to the still form which had kept Schuldich safe though trapped for so long. Walking out into the hallway, amber eyes glanced down at the nurses' station and then turned left to leave through a stairway, not risking being in the hospital employees' line of sight so close to when the telepathic hold on them would drop.

They easily made it to the car and started for home, the returned German telepath oddly quiet as Brad drove and Nagi just glanced over at him every so often. Emerald hued eyes continued glancing over his new form, inspecting Crocifisso's perfect manicure as well as glancing in the vanity mirror on the passenger visor to see the fair features of the man. It did seem incredibly superficial to be so fascinated with his new form, but he was a man who had been trapped in a limbo of utter darkness, in a body but unable to use it or leave it, never truly expecting to leave it.

Leaning back in the car seat with a faint sigh he smirked, opening up that memory that the Italian had shown him. If he couldn't try out the body in everything it could do, he could at least try to visualize. Not bad... Ah it had been so long since he'd had sex, not since-- With a light frown as he remembered his last interrupted session he crossed his legs instinctively and defensively, ending the memory with a faint scowl. He'd still been in his rightful body when -**that**- happened. In fact it was after that and when he saw the dangerous glint in Ken's eyes that caused him to leave and rip his conscious self from his body fast. Even if it didn't work, it was better than being slaughtered worse than a pig at Weiß's hands.

The scowl turned to a dark smirk and Schuldich flipped up the visor even after seeing the dark mirth glint through his irises. Maybe it was time he contacted the very ones who made him leave his own form...

//Schuldich, no.//

Blinking as the strong voice of his leader rang through his mind even before he could start reaching a thread out to try to find the Weiß kittens, Schuldig glanced over and started creating a mental barrier in his own mind so the conversation wouldn't disturb Crocifisso. This was a bit odd... in his training he'd learned how to create all sorts of mental blocks, trying to find a way to gain silence, but never had he tried to barricade from basically his own mind. //What?//

//I know how you work. I saw that glint in your eye. Don't you dare go search out Abyssinian or Siberian, Schuldich. Don't go stir up trouble to make up for lost time.// Brad glanced over at the man for a long meaningful moment before looking back to the road. Some things never changed, it seemed.

Frowning lightly, slim fingers lifted to twirl a blond strand of hair about his fingers, Schuldich's green eyes staring at it. It was going to take awhile to get used to being blond. //Excuse me? Since when has it ever been our way to just sit back and let someone who wronged us live out their lives in peace? I've really had nothing to think about but that for a damn long time.//

//Schuldich--//

//Don't 'Schuldich' me. I want revenge, Brad. We're the villains. It's our job to get petty bitter revenge and forgive me if I'm a bit bitter because I nearly was killed by a jealous lover.//

Pulling the car to a stop at a light, Brad closed his eyes and released a faint sigh, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. //The kittens are hardly my favorite group of people either, Schuldich, but I too have had many long months to think about what they did. But more importantly, the implications that brought as well as the new situation your absence put Schwarz into.//

Releasing the strand of hair, he smoothed it back into place and glanced over. //Implications, situation? Care to share? I still can't read you.//

The light changing reflected on his glasses lenses before the car started moving again in a direction that Schuldich wasn't really familiar with. Not unexpected since people like them couldn't live in the same place for more than six months usually, and he'd been gone for twenty. //That day Weiß accomplished something that no one ever has been able to up until then. A number of things really. Not even the SZ Elders were able to do what they did. Firstly, they took something of mine and I never thought I would be able to regain it. They went up against Schwarz... and even with all of our powers and all of our resources... they won. And proved we weren't as immortal and unstoppable as we thought.//

Frowning once more, Schuldich glanced over to the man, pushing back strands of gold from his face. This didn't sound like the Brad he knew... since when did he ever tell him not to try to play with Weiß? Of course the last time he had attempted that it didn't turn out so well...

//But they didn't win anything other than they bought themselves time. Why do you sound like you're giving up? They didn't take anything. They tried to kill me, ja, and everyone thought they succeeded but they didn't.//

Sighing, Brad pushed his foot down onto the pedal as they hit a flat straight stretch of road, wind blowing through his hair from the partly opened window. He didn't expect Schuldich to exactly understand. It had been a realization it had taken him a long time to come to. //Schuldich, simple fact is. We underestimated them: their loyalties to one another as well as their power as a team.//

//Please. They're just Weiß. We're Schwarz and--//

//And you have to realize Schuldich we are not the Schwarz you once knew. A lot has changed over the past year and two-thirds, Schuldich. We aren't even in the same station of life that we once were. I had to do a lot to keep us afloat. And the gain was much, even more than I originally thought. But the cost was great as well...//

//You can't mean...// he said softly, glancing down at the floorboard as buildings passed by them unnoticed by him.

//Where do you think the new telepath I got for Schwarz came from. Picking up telepaths from the cold streets of Berlin is not a common habit of mine. He came from SZ. Very high in SZ at that. But we're back under their thumb in return for that. Very securely under their thumb at that. He's been with us for the past year and a half.//

Schuldich stared at his reflection, noting with irony the only part of that reflection he even recognized were the twinkling emerald irises that he imagined would fade back to their original color whenever Crocifisso took main control again. How in the world that was even physically possible, he didn't ask. The fact that he was alive went against all possibilities, so why couldn't his iris color change as well. //So... where do we go from here...?//

//I don't know yet,// Brad replied, simply and honestly. Schuldich being the only person who would ever get such a straightforward answer from him. //Right now no one knows you're alive but Schwarz. No one expects you to be alive but Schwarz. Let's keep that a fact for awhile.//

//What about Weiß?//

//What about them. We have not really encountered them since the last time I saw you, Schu. They are neither our friends nor or enemies now. Let us keep that a fact as well, for awhile. Who knows. They may prove useful to us if we play our cards right.//

Crooking up an eyebrow, the telepath glanced back over once more. //Do you -**know**- that or is that common sense?//

Looking back over at him with his usual smirk in place, Brad turned another corner on the way to their current residence. //What do you think.//

//I don't know. I never could tell.//

Without another word, the car continued to drive towards the Schwarz residence. Nagi fast asleep in the backseat, Brad paying attention to the road with occasional side glances at Schuldich, and Schuldich staring at the reflection that was to be his which he didn't recognize.

**~ ~ ~  
To be continued****  
~ ~ ~**


End file.
